The passages in the palace were dim and quiet. The guards on duty stood in an inconspicuous corner. The leading eunuch held a warm yellow lantern and led Qin Hui through the familiar road in the early morning, crossing the long street and turning around the palace.
The cool air and the slowly blowing wind make everything nostalgic.
In the Qinzheng Hall of the inner palace, the lights are bright in the summer curtains, reflecting the flowers and plants in the flower bed at night. After the eunuch entered to report, Qin Hui was admitted. A large map was hung on the wall of the side hall. Zhou Yong
Sitting slumped in the chair, facing the map and raising his head in despair, after Qin Hui said hello, Zhou Yong got up from the chair and turned this way.
Holding the incoming message in his hand, the emperor looked pale and tired.
"Qin Qing, news from Zhenjiang... has arrived."
"I... already know."
"Oh." Zhou Yong nodded, not surprised by this, but looked sad, "Jun Wu was injured, my prince... defended Zhenjiang and refused to retreat. After being sacrificed by traitors, he ran for the people of the city.
, in order to save the innocent subjects, how magnificent, this is the true benevolence and righteousness! My prince... will not lose to anyone!"
"The prince's benevolence and righteousness will bring blessings to the common people." Qin Hui said.
Zhou Yong waved his hand: "But Zhenjiang is still broken. Qin Qing, you are right. Since Wanyan Xiyin is desperate to attack Zhenjiang, it means that he has a perfect strategy. Haha, the perfect strategy! It is to hook up with those spies! Let people open the city.
Open the door and let them in! Yesterday evening... the prince was injured. Look at this time, the whole city is getting up soon. It's a sure-fire plan, Qin Qing..."
Zhou Yong paused: "Tell me, what should I do?"
Qin Hui was slightly silent. Zhou Yong looked at him and slapped the letter in his hand on the table: "Speak. Qin Qing, if the Wu Dynasty falls and Lin'an is broken, can you escape? Outside Lin'an City...Jin Wu outside Lin'an City
Shu's troops have been wandering around for four months! Even if he doesn't attack the city, he is still waiting for Zhenjiang's perfect strategy! If you don't say anything, are you going to join the Jurchens and sell me out!?"
Zhou Yong's voice was sharp, his saliva and tears were mixed together, and his emotions were obviously out of control. Qin Hui stood with his head lowered. After Zhou Yong finished speaking for a while, he slowly raised his hands and knelt down.
"I beg your Majesty to forgive me for my unpardonable sin."
"It's an unpardonable crime for you to hide it..."
"Old minister is stupid. There were always omissions in all previous plans. Only with His Majesty's protection can I survive in the court to this day. Therefore, although I felt something before, I didn't dare to say anything rashly. However, when it fell over, something was inappropriate.
I have to say it to Your Majesty. Your Majesty, after receiving the news today, I... couldn't help but think of Tang Qinsou during the Jingping period. I felt something in my heart and felt sad..."
Qin Hui fell to the ground. When he said this, the sound of swallowing in his throat became heavier and he couldn't help crying. Zhou Yong also felt it. His eyes were red, and he waved his hand: "Say it!"
"What the veteran said next is a treasonous act of betrayal and humiliation of the country. However... In this world and the situation in Lin'an, His Majesty has also understood in his heart that Wanyan Xiyin's desperate attempt to capture Zhenjiang was precisely to use the situation in Zhenjiang to put pressure on Lin'an. He was in Zhenjiang
We have a perfect plan because we have secretly mobilized all the traitors to cooperate with the Jurchen army. Your Majesty, now that he has broken through Zhenjiang in three days, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has been seriously injured, how many people in the capital will conspire with him?
I’m afraid... no one can tell clearly..."
When he said this, Zhou Yong nodded: "I understand, I can guess..."
Qin Hui paused: "The purpose of Golden Dog going south for the fourth time is to conquer Lin'an, overthrow our Wu Dynasty, and repeat the events of Jingping. Your Majesty, it is a taboo for military strategists to be timid before the enemy comes out, but with this
Regarding the situation in Lin'an, the veteran only feels that by the time the Jurchens attack the city, our entire Wu Dynasty...may not be able to make a comeback."
When he said this, he knocked his head heavily on the ground. Zhou Yong looked dazed and nodded: "You can tell me anything."
"The situation is critical, and overthrow is imminent. If we do not want to repeat the mistakes of Jingping, I believe that there is only one strategy that can preserve a glimmer of hope for our Martial Dynasty under such circumstances. This strategy... Others care about the reputation, not the reputation.
Dare to talk nonsense, but at this time, the old minister has to say... I invite you to negotiate peace."
Qin Hui's words were generous but calm. In fact, this idea was not surprising. Zhou Yong was not surprised - in fact, even if Qin Hui came up with a bizarre idea, he would not be surprised at this time - he nodded.
Said: "How to discuss this situation?"
In the early morning, everything in the palace seemed quiet. The wind blew the curtains. Qin Hui said: "I will never underestimate the ferocity of the Jurchens. If there are only two sides in the world, Jin and Wu, negotiating peace will be a dead end. But there are still black flags in the world."
, this became a glimmer of hope for peace talks, but it was only a glimmer of hope. On the other hand, if we had chosen to negotiate peace a few months ago, it would have been equivalent to surrender without a fight, His Majesty's majesty would have been damaged, and the Wu Dynasty would have been filled with resentment, but
Given the current situation, I believe that there are many people who can understand the situation and have the same thoughts as me."
He said: "Zhenjiang has been defeated, the prince is injured, and his safety is in danger. At this time, accepting the conditions of the Jurchen negotiations and ceding the land thousands of miles west of Xiangfan is really a last resort. Your Majesty, now we can only bet on the power of the Black Flag Army in the eyes of the Jurchens
No matter what humiliating conditions they accept, as long as the Jurchens are fighting with Black Flag in the southwest, our Wu Dynasty, Zuo, will eventually survive because of this. Jin Kingdom and Black Flag are both fierce tigers in the world. With a single blow from Bo Lang, both sides will be hurt.
If one side is defeated, the other side will be severely damaged. Our dynasty has His Majesty in charge and the Crown Prince is wise. As long as we can give the Crown Prince some more time, the Wu Dynasty... will have hope of revival."
Zhou Yong was silent for a moment: "Negotiating peace at this time is indeed a helpless move, but... the tigers and wolves of the Jin Kingdom, he captured Zhenjiang and gained the upper hand, how could he give up? He said at the beginning of the year that he wanted me to cede thousands of miles of land.
I killed General Han to appease the Jin people. Now I am seeking peace at this disadvantage. How can the Jin people be satisfied with this? How to negotiate this peace...?"
Zhou Yong was afraid in his heart and had already thought of many terrible things. If the Jin Kingdom could eat up all the Wu Dynasty, why would they settle for the next best thing? He asked this question, and Qin Hui's answer came immediately.
"Your Majesty is quite justified in worrying about this matter, but the countermeasure is actually simple." He said, "The Jin people want to destroy our Wu Dynasty and repeat the Jingping incident. The real core of this matter lies with Your Majesty. The Jin people
If His Majesty is really caught, our Wu Dynasty will probably fall. But as long as Your Majesty is not caught, how long will the Jin people have to stay in our Wu Dynasty? As long as we are tough, the Jin people will have to choose to compromise.
."
When Qin Hui said this, Zhou Yong's eyes lit up slightly: "You mean..."
"Your Majesty, no matter how serious this matter is, it is nothing more than another search of the mountains and seas. Your Majesty only needs to go to sea from the Qiantang River and take care of the dragon body. No matter where you go, our Wu Dynasty will still exist. In addition, many things can be done
I agree to the Jurchens as appropriate, but even if we exhaust all material resources, as long as we can send the Jurchen troops to the southwest, our Wu Dynasty will have a chance to revive. However, this matter has to bear the burden of humiliation. Your Majesty may have to bear some infamy. I... am guilty."
Zhou Yong's eyes became lively, and he was about to move in his heart. His face was silent for a long time, and he murmured: "It's okay for me to be infamous for a while, as long as Junwu can have a chance to rejuvenate this world..."
Qin Hui was still kneeling there: "The safety of His Highness the Crown Prince is also the top priority at this time. According to the old minister, although His Highness has a benevolent heart, a son of a rich man cannot sit down in the hall. His Highness is running for the people, which is the best thing in the world."
The blessing of the people, but the ministers around the prince failed to fulfill their duties as ministers... Of course, His Highness is not in danger of life, this is a small matter, but His Highness has won the hearts of the people and stayed in the north, I am afraid that he will also become a Jurchen
A thorn in his side and a thorn in his flesh, Xi Yinruo is desperate to get rid of His Highness first. I am afraid that after the defeat of Zhenjiang, the morale of the soldiers around His Highness will be low, and it will be difficult for Xi Yin to attack the elite of Tushan..."
"That's right, that's right..." Zhou Yong thought for a while, murmured and nodded, "Xi Yin attacked Zhenjiang because he bribed the people in the Zhenjiang garrison. I'm afraid there were more than one or two people around Jun Wu.
Maybe... we can't let him stay at the front, I have to let him come back."
"I am afraid that the prince is brave and unwilling to return."
"He will come back if I tell him to!" Zhou Yong yelled, but after a while, his eyes trembled, "If he really doesn't come back..."
"The only glimmer of hope is still with His Majesty. As long as His Majesty leaves Lin'an, Xiyin will finally understand that the Kingdom of Jin cannot destroy our Wu Dynasty. When the time comes, he needs to retain his strength to attack the southwest and not start another war. Our Wu Dynasty
The bargaining chip for negotiation is also involved in this matter. And even if the prince stays at the front, it is not a bad thing. With His Highness's brave and brave temperament, Xiyin may believe in my Wu Dynasty's determination to resist, and when the time comes... or it will be fine as soon as possible.
"
"Ah...I have to leave eventually..." Zhou Yong nodded suddenly.
Qin Hui, who was kneeling on the ground, straightened up his upper body. He had spoken calmly before, but now he could see that his righteous and resolute face was full of tears. He folded his hands and kowtowed again, his voice even more subdued.
"Your Majesty! What I said before was nothing more than treasonous words in my mouth. But if I really do it, the majesty of our Martial Dynasty will be wiped out, the temples will be overthrown, the country will be in turmoil, and the tragedy will be unspeakable...
As a minister, I really don’t want to say these words..."
He cried loudly: "If it is possible, what I dream of is that our Wu Dynasty can forge ahead, be able to open up frontiers, be able to go to the land of the Jin people, invade their land, and destroy their country——
The Wu Dynasty has come to this point, and the old minister is guilty, and he will not be redeemed by death, death by death, death by death, death by death..."
He cried loudly, knocked his head down, and knocked it down again... Zhou Yong couldn't help but cover his mouth and cry, and then came over to support Qin Hui's shoulders and pulled him up: "It's my fault! It's... it's those traitorous ministers before.
It's Zhou Zhe's fault! It's Zhou Zhe's fault, the foolish king, the sycophant... Cai Jingtong, they are all... my fault, I deeply regret that I couldn't use Qin Qing to defeat the southwest strategy..."
Dawn has not yet arrived, and in the palace at night, the monarch and his ministers were holding each other in tears, and decided on a way to deal with it. Zhou Yong said to Qin Hui: "At this time, only Qin Qing can tell me these offensive words without hesitation.
It’s just that the matter involved is very big, Qin Qing should take charge of the planning for me and tell everyone about it..."
This is not a plan that can gain a good reputation. Zhou Yong's eyes were fixed on him, and Qin Hui's eyes did not reveal the slightest evasion. He solemnly held his hands and knelt down heavily.
"For the sake of the government of the Wu Dynasty, I am willing to bear this infamy. I am willing to serve as a pioneer for His Majesty, and I will devote my whole life until my death——"
Soon after, in the crisp morning, the sky was dimly bright. When the people in Lin'an City got up, the emperor, who had not shown a good face for a long time, summoned Zhao Ding and other ministers into the palace and announced to them his thoughts and decisions on peace.
.
There was chaos in the imperial study room in the early morning. After understanding all the meaning of the emperor's words and failing to refute them, some officials cursed those who supported the peace talks. Zhao Ding pointed at Qin Hui and said hysterically: "Qin Huizhi, you are an old man.
Common man, I know that you are narrow-minded and have been planning things in the southwest until now. You are trying to destroy our Wu Dynasty's social order. Do you know that this peace and discussion, even if it is just the beginning of the discussion, will be the same as the destruction of our country! Millions of people on the Yangtze River
All the soldiers will die at the hands of thieves! You rebellious ministers and thieves, tell me, are you secretly connected with the Jurchens and have already made preparations for it——"
Qin Hui pointed at Zhao Ding and scolded: "You are a traitor when you negotiate for peace, and you are a loyal minister when you lead the battle! You are such a scourge of the country, just for the sake of your reputation of loyalty, regardless of how weak our Wu Dynasty is! Talk about the southwest! The war broke out two years ago
In the southwest, if you didn't interfere and couldn't go all out, why would we be like this today? You only know how to fight in the court, just for two bad reputations behind you, and you are narrow-minded and selfish! If I, Qin Hui, are not for the sake of the world, why should I go out and carry it out?
Such an infamy! But among all of you, I don’t know how many of you are having adultery with the Jurchens with ulterior motives, please stand up——"
Both sides cursed each other. Afterwards, Zhao Ding rushed up and started to fight. There was a ping-ping-pong-pong beating in the royal study room. Zhou Yong sat on the chair and watched all this with a gloomy face.
The soldiers carrying the order had already left the palace and headed for the Qiantang River dock in the city. Soon after, the Jurchen envoys who had traveled all the way through the starry night to persuade them to surrender would arrive in Lin'an in high spirits.
At midnight, soft white clouds were floating in the sky, and a breeze was blowing. The carriage passed from the streets of Lin'an City towards the palace. Zhou Pei opened the curtain and looked at the shops on both sides of the road that were still open and the residents of the city walking on the streets.
They were starting their day as usual.
On the morning of April 28th, this was Zhou Pei's last memory of Lin'an.
More than three hundred miles away, Jun Wu is still sleeping in a tent in the military camp. He has completed his transformation and does not feel afraid in his endless dreams. He will wake up from his coma two days later, and everything will be powerless.